Roma Third Shirt 2000/01 – Abel Balbo – No.21 – Player Issued – Kappa – Serie A Championship

Abel Balbo's Player Issued Jersey: the third Giallorossi kit of the Scudetto season

The third official Roma jersey for the 2000/2001 season in Player Issued version is one of the most significant relics of Italian football of the 2000s. Produced in Italy by Kappa with the technical finishes reserved for team supply, it features the INA Assitalia sponsor on the front — the insurance company that accompanied Roma in the most memorable season of its recent history — and the Giallorossi badge embroidered on the left chest. The Kappa logo is applied in relief on the shoulders, while the Lega Calcio Serie A patch is sewn on the right sleeve, an unequivocal sign of the professional destination of this kit. The back bears the surname BALBO and the number 21 in orange on a navy blue background, in the distinctive color palette of this iconic kit. Size XL, excellent vintage condition, with fabric and seams perfectly intact despite over twenty years since its production.

The player: Abel Balbo

Abel Marcelo Balbo (Reconquista, June 1, 1966) is one of the most beloved Argentine strikers in the history of Italian Serie A. Arriving in Italy with Udinese, he later played for Roma, Parma, and Fiorentina, building a long career rich in goals and satisfaction in the top Italian league. His relationship with Roma was particularly intense: Balbo had two Giallorossi seasons, and in the second — precisely 2000/2001 — he returned to Fabio Capello's court, making three appearances in the season in which Roma won the Italian Championship title. Owning Balbo's number 21 from that season means preserving an authentic fragment of one of the most celebrated championships in the history of the Capitoline club.

What is a Player Issued jersey?

A Player Issued jersey is a kit specifically prepared for a certain player but not necessarily worn in an official match. It differs from the commercial version due to a series of precise technical characteristics: professional finishes, race cut and materials, exclusive technical details reserved for team supply. It is hierarchically superior to the store version and inferior only to the Match Worn. For collectors, it represents an authentic piece of very high historical and commercial value, often impossible to find on the market years after its production. The presence of the Lega Calcio patch on the sleeve and the internal Made in Italy label attest to the professional destination of this kit.

Authenticity and MTM guarantee

MTM Memorabilia is the Italian benchmark for demanding collectors of authentic sports memorabilia. Each jersey is selected with rigorous criteria of authenticity, origin, and quality by our experts. The originality of this item is guaranteed directly by MTM. Each shipment is made with rigid, shock-proof, and humidity-proof packaging to ensure maximum protection during transport. Express courier with delivery within 24/72 hours from payment confirmation, both for Italy and abroad.